Page 28 of Marked (Wicked Heirs #1)

I couldn’t drive her from my thoughts.

I craved control over her—and I wanted nothing more than to possess her entirely and make her submit to my every whim.

The desire was a gnawing hunger in the pit of my stomach, a dark temptation that demanded satisfaction with each passing moment.

My brothers weren’t helping matters, either.

“Did you feel it, Titus?” Bastian asked.

It had only been a week since we had taken her. And it was clear enough that she had ensnared all of us in her own way.

I didn’t look up from my book. “What—”

“She was a virgin,” Bastian said in a dark hiss. “Valen wondered— but now I know for sure.”

I glanced up at my younger brother, but I couldn’t ignore the surge of lust that coursed through me.

Bastian shrugged. “What? I was inside her, too—I heard her thoughts. Desperate thoughts, too…”

His smile was strange and there was a light in his pale eyes I hadn’ t seen before.

“You were her first,” he continued. “We all were. It’s almost too delicious to believe.”

I scoffed at his words as I attempted to maintain a facade of disinterest.

But the thought that I had been her first, that she’d unwittingly surrendered her innocence to me, was a dark thrill that raced through my veins.

“Do you think that’s what our father wanted with her?” Valen mused.

“A virgin sacrifice?” Bastian laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Neither would I.

But that didn’t explain his interest in Avril’s mother—unless she had been a means to an end.

Had Avril really been his ultimate goal?

It didn’t make any sense.

If I understood anything about my father, it was that he lusted for power above all things.

Why would he care about someone like Avril?

It didn’t matter now.

Avril was ours.

Mine.

The thought sent a thrill of possessive satisfaction through me.

“So— what happens now?” Valen’s stare was sharp.

My eyes narrowed. “About what?”

Bastian rolled his eyes and fell backward onto the deep-buttoned leather sofa. “You know what he’s asking,” he said. “When are we going to fuck her again?”

Valen let out a snort. “That’s not what I meant.”

“That’s what I want to know,” Bastian retorted. “I didn’t get a chance—”

“You’ll get your chance,” I growled. “Soon. ”

“What are you waiting for?”

“I want her to hope,” I said simply. “She has to believe that she’s going to get what she wants.”

Bastian chuckled at that, but Valen said nothing.

“She really did look so lovely on her knees,” Bastian said with a sigh. “I could get used to that view.”

I frowned, unable to fully push aside the images the statement conjured: Avril’s shimmering chestnut hair as it had cascaded down her back; her wide, hazel eyes as they looked up at me, brimming with tears as I filled her throat with my cock—

It was an intoxicating vision that pulsed with a rhythm that matched my own rapidly beating heart.

Indeed, having Avril on her knees and submitting to our very demand might become an addiction I had no intention of breaking free of.

I was going to have to be careful.

There was a plan behind all of this—and I couldn’t get distracted.

“I’m sure you could,” I replied through gritted teeth, trying to keep my mounting obsession under wraps. “But we have a goal—remember?”

Bastian grunted at the pointed reminder, while Valen met my gaze head-on. “And what do you plan on doing with her then?” he asked, his tone probing.

I tipped my head back against the plush cushion of the armchair as I picked up my book again and as I flicked through the pages with feigned nonchalance; I let a small smirk grace my lips.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” I replied cryptically. I hadn’t thought any farther ahead— how would Lucian react to our debasement of his precious Avril?

The mere thought sent an electrifying shiver coursing through my body, and it ignited every nerve along the way .

Valen let out a sharp sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he were weary of this exchange. “That’s not what concerns me,” he confessed. “It’s how she’ll react... or what retaliation she might plan.”

“Retaliate?” I laughed aloud at the thought. “Avril? You must be joking.”

The thought of Avril retaliating was indeed amusing. She was gentle and innocent, like a delicate flower in the Withermarsh gardens. They didn’t last long here. And neither would she. But if Valen thought she had the will to fight us... Well, that was an interesting thought.

“I think I’d like to see that,” I drawled out, my gaze firmly locked on my book again, though my thoughts were far away from its pages.

“Don’t be too sure,” Valen warned, a hint of concern in his voice. “She isn’t one of our usual toys... She’s...”

“Cursed,” Bastian finished for him, and then he laughed.

Cursed—it was a fitting term.

How had she managed to escape the darkness her parents had touched without being tainted by it?

It wasn’t possible.

Was that what Lucian craved? Her innocence? Her light?

A smile curved over my lips before I could stop myself.

“Do I want to know what you’re thinking?” Valen asked.

“Probably not,” I replied. I closed my book and pushed myself out of the leather armchair. “You should be careful, brother, if you lose your nerve—”

“I won’t,” Valen snapped.

Bastian sat up and draped his arm over his knees. “You’d better not,” he sneered. “If you give this away—”

“I won’t,” Valen repeated in a hard voice.

I tossed my book at him, and Valen caught it with a grunt. “ We have a pact,” I said. “And I have no intention of allowing Lucian to get the best of us.”

My brothers nodded their agreement, and I strode from the room without looking back.

As I walked away from the library, I wondered briefly if I was going to have to watch my back— But truth be told, I couldn’t muster the energy to care about my brother’s opinions on the matter.

Instead, I found myself mulling over Valen’s warning about Avril’s potential retaliation.

Avril.

Innocent, doe-eyed Avril.

Who would have thought she’d be a source of such tantalizing intrigue? When she’d arrived at Withermarsh, she had been an annoyance at best… but as the weeks had passed—

Of course, I had plans for her— dark, degrading plans that made heat flood my veins just thinking about them.

But there was also something else... a challenge that extended beyond mere physical dominance.

Valen’s words haunted my thoughts again: retaliation. But what could a pale spark like her do to me? To us? The thought brought an unexpected thrill. What would she do when pushed to her edge? When we stripped her bare of all pretenses and forced her to face the darkness that lurked within us—within herself? What would she do then?

A wicked grin spread across my face at the enticing prospects my mind conjured up.

She would—no, she must—break. That was my plan. And when she crumbled, when she trusted us—

Servants passed me in the halls, their gazes averted as they scurried by.

But I saw nothing but her, Avril; her figure was etched deeply into my mind as though she were standing before me in all of her exquisite vulnerability.

I rounded a corner, and to my sweet surprise, I found her there.

Not an apparition crafted by my feverish obsession, but flesh and blood.

Her chestnut hair, a waterfall of russet and gold, tumbled delicately over her shoulders as she climbed the grand staircase that led to the second floor and the safety of her room. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed me, but maintained their composure as they met mine.

A faint glimmer of fear danced behind her eyes, and it thrilled me to my core.

“You,” I said simply, halting her steps mid-way up the grand staircase.

Her gaze flickered between me and the sanctuary at the top of the stairs, and I knew she longed for an escape that wouldn’t come.

“Titus,” she returned cautiously. Her voice quivered just enough to betray her unease—a sweet melody that stirred something dark within me.

She stood, frozen in place, as I climbed the stairs toward her.

It had been a week since our dark encounter, and I’d wanted to possess her since the moment the sigil-protected door had closed behind us.

I had to have her.

I had to test her.

“Here,” I spoke, standing only steps below her, close enough to drink in the intoxicating floral scent of her, close enough to see the soft sheen of moisture slicking those full, trembling lips. Avril’s eyes widened marginally, and a silent question swam in their hazel depths. “Now. ”

“Titus...” she began, but I cut her off with a firm shake of my head.

“You signed,” I told her, reaching out to run one finger along the curve of her cheek. The fabric of her dress was thin and silken—a delicate whisper of material that hid her flesh from my sight. She was deliciously warm, and unnervingly fragile.

The need to possess her roared in my ears like a beast uncaged—I must have her.

Now.

I could almost taste her fear as I leaned in closer and whispered, “If you shout, if you even make a whimper... Well, let’s just say your precious little sanctuary will be a distant dream.” My tone was almost playful, but I could see in the way she stiffened that she understood the promised peril should she defy me.

Her chest heaved beneath the silk fabric of her dress, threatening to spill from its plunging neckline at any moment now. Her wide eyes searched mine frantically for any hint of mercy. “Please,” she breathed.

“Now,” I growled.

“I—”

I realized she didn’t know what to do, and Bastian’s words threaded through my clouded thoughts.

She was a virgin.

You were her first.

My cock was already hard, and I let out a grunt as Avril looked at me in alarm.

“Bend over,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Here— But— What if someone—”

I grabbed hold of the back of her neck and she sucked in a breath as I pushed my face close to hers. “What if someone sees me fucking you?”

She nodded .

“Then they’ll hear you moaning like a whore while I fuck you on the stairs,” I gritted out.

Her breath hitched. I inhaled sharply, the scent of her fear mingling with her sweet floral scent. It was heady and intoxicating.

“You bastard,” she spat, and her wide eyes shimmered with unshed tears. I suppressed a smirk. Her defiance only added a thrilling edge to my desire.

“Unfortunately not,” I said. “I know who my father is.”

With a swift, calculated movement, I gripped the hem of her gown and hitched it up to reveal the soft roundness of her ass. God, the sight of her vulnerability alone was enough to make my heart pound with an anticipatory sort of lust.

“Titus,” she began, and reached out to push me away. But it was in vain.

I traced my forefinger along the inside of her thighs as I muttered against her ear, “Remember your promise.”

A choked sob escaped from her as she clenched her fists at her sides. But a refusal never crossed her lips.

“I almost hope that someone comes,” I whispered huskily. I undid my belt with quick fingers and pulled my pants down enough to expose my cock. With a swift motion, I reached between Avril’s thighs and pulled her panties aside and relished the sight of her quivering pussy.

The juicy pink flesh, sweeter than any fruit, glistened with moisture and I chuckled. She wanted this, too.

The tremors that ran through her body sent cruel spikes of pleasure coursing through me.

“Grab onto the railing,” I ordered darkly. She turned to look at me once more before acquiescing, and bent forward to grip the ornate wooden railing of the staircase.

The unspoken promise in this act left my heart beating a nasty rhythm against my ribs. My cock throbbed against my hand as I stepped closer.

I ran my fingers along the delicate seam of her and relished the warmth of her slick flesh. She was tight, so incredibly tight that her body trembled beneath my touch, and it only urged me forward, spurred me on to claim what was mine.

And she was mine.

This demure little bird that dared to resist me, dared to say ‘please’ in such breathlessly trembling whispers—mine.

“Hold on, little bird,” I breathed against her skin. A shudder ran through her delicate form, and a gasp broke free from her lips as I teased my fingers against her already swollen clit.

Fear shimmered in her gaze when she turned to look at me over her shoulder. But there was hunger there, too.

Virgin whore.

I caught her delicate thong on my thumb and pulled it aside to access her flesh as I took hold of her hips and pushed the head of my cock against her soft entrance. A crimson blush stained the purity of her skin as I rubbed my length against her folds and coated myself in that sweet nectar.

My first thrust into her sent a fevered moan tumbling from her lips even as she tried to bite it back.

Her body tensed in surprise at each forceful thrust, as her fingers gripped the railing, and her nails dug into the darkly polished wood—but she remained silent. Not a single whimper escaped past those lush lips.

“Cursed,” I mumbled as I drove myself deeper within her soft heat with each punishing stroke. I watched her eyebrows knit tightly as pleasure-pain twisted her face. She was beautiful in this state.

And then, all at once, Avril let out a soft cry and her back arched as she pushed back against my thrusts .

She bore it all, and her body tightened around me with each stroke.

She was mine to mold, mine to own in every sense of the word.

And as I found an easier rhythm, a delicious thought floated to my mind: what a lovely sight she would be, devoured by not just one but all of us. Writhing under our magic and our dark control. A triumphant smirk pulled at my lips.

My pace quickened, spurred on by that wicked fantasy.

The heady mix of power and pleasure coiled tightly in my core as Avril took every inch of my cock.

“Titus,” she whimpered softly, breaking our tacit understanding of silence. It was a plea more than a rebuke as she glanced back at me through half-lidded eyes that burned with tormented lust.

Her breaths turned ragged and desperate and a part of me thrilled at the realization that she was close—oh, so close—to the precipice of pleasure I’d been driving her towards.

“Ask for it,” I commanded, my voice low and guttural.

“No,” she rasped out, but there was no conviction in her refusal. There was need, a pulsating demand that shot through her body and echoed within mine.

My grasp on her hips tightened, fingers digging into her soft flesh as I continued to thrust into her. The sensation of her tight heat surrounding me was overwhelmingly intoxicating, and the pleasure soared higher with each shuddering moan that slipped past her lips.

“Do it, Avril,” I coaxed darkly. “Beg me.”

“No,” she repeated, but this time it came out choked. She was so close. Her body inadvertently moved against mine, rolling her hips in sync with my ruthless assaults. She wanted release, yet she refused to voice it out.

With a low growl, I reached around and found her clit. As I rubbed the swollen nub in rhythm with my thrusts, Avril let out a choked cry she tried to muffle by pressing her face against her arm. It was pure desperation.

“That’s it,” I growled approvingly, and felt my climax building in response to hers. The sight of her face flushed from ecstasy and torment combined with the decadent sounds she made and the tightness of her wet cunt spurred me on to thrust even harder.

Every inch of her softness clenched around me, but before she broke apart and came, I pulled my cock from her soaking slit and grabbed her elbow.

She let out a cry of surprise as I tugged her away from the banister and spun her around to face me.

“On your knees,” I growled.

Shuddering, but without argument, she did as I commanded.

“Open your mouth.”

My cock glistened with her juices and her eyes were wide as she looked up at me and opened her full lips.

I watched as her eyes darted from mine to the rigid length of my arousal, and a faint whimper escaped her parted lips between her breathless gasps. Her chest heaved, and I knew her pussy throbbed just on the edge of release. Despite her reluctance, she couldn’t hide the desperate lust in her gaze.

“Get me off,” I growled as I reached down to thread my fingers through her soft hair.

She leaned forward and closed the distance between her lips and my aching manhood. Her hesitation melted away as she tentatively flicked her tongue out to tease my tip and I gritted my teeth as I resisted the urge to thrust my full length into her hot, wet mouth.

She braced her hands against my thighs as she slowly and painstakingly took in more of me.

She looked up at me, and I couldn’t help but smirk down at her, drinking in the sight of her innocence tainted by the throbbing need that coursed through my veins.

“That’s it,” I murmured, tangled in a sea of pleasure as I felt her mouth envelop me completely. “Just like that.”

Her bobbing movements were hesitant at first, but soon matched the rhythm I set with my hands clenched in her hair. My heart hammered against my ribs, and echoes of raw pleasure coursed through me with every lick, every stroke.

“Fuck,” I hissed out harshly when she grazed me slightly with her teeth and the soothing swirl of her tongue followed the sharp sting; it was enough for my control to slip.

My hips bucked forward and Avril’s nails bit into my thighs as she gripped me, but she didn’t back away as she took my full length into her mouth and down her throat.

Exquisite.

My climax came over me quickly, and I didn’t warn her with anything more than a grunt before my cock pulsed in her mouth.

The first spurt of hot release hit the back of her throat and she convulsed around me, choking and coughing. But she kept her mouth on me, swallowing down what she could as I continued to shudder and jerk against her.

With a groan I pulled out of her mouth, and my cum drooled from her lips, smeared her chin, and spattered the tops of her breasts. I finished with a few quick strokes and flicked the last of it on her smooth skin. She gasped for air and wiped at her lips before she looked up at me with confusion and anger in her eyes—and something a touch darker than both of those combined.

I reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress and wiped my hands on the patterned silk before I straightened and tucked my cock back into my pants and buckled my belt once more. She didn’t move, but remained still, as if unsure what to do next.

Her chest was heaving with every panting breath she took in, and her eyes were still wide .

I couldn’t help but marvel at how completely I’d claimed her.

If my brothers and I were still in competition, I would have won.

“Are you happy now?” she hissed through swollen lips. The question was bitter, and I knew she was struggling to come to terms with what had just transpired between us—and what it meant for her.

“It’s not about happiness,” I replied coolly. “It’s about keeping your promises.”

She tried to stand, but her legs buckled beneath her and she grabbed hold of the bannister to steady herself.

“Titus... why?” Her voice trembled, and I could tell that she was trying to hold back her tears. “Why do you insist on tormenting me like this?”

“Because it amuses me,” I said flatly, not bothering to conceal the cruelty in my words. “And because I can.”

I could see the hurt in her eyes, and I knew my words had cut her deeply. But I didn’t care. In that moment, all that mattered was the intoxicating power I held over her—the knowledge that I could bend her to my will, and that she would submit to me despite her better judgment.

“You knew what you were getting yourself into when you agreed to this. It’s too late to play the victim now.”

The sight of her, broken and trembling, sent a twisted thrill through me. She was a picture of debasement and vulnerability, and I savored the moment, locking it away in my mind to revisit later.

Inside my head, a sense of immense satisfaction spread across my thoughts. I knew full well that I had pushed her to the brink, and the raw satisfaction of bending her will to my own was an unparalleled high, one that I would undoubtedly crave again.

“Damn you,” she choked out .

“Keep saying it, Avril,” I replied as I turned away. “It only makes me want you more.”

That was true.

But as much as she may have tried to resist, I knew the darkness I—we—offered would draw Avril back into its embrace again and again.

But as I strode back through the house toward the wing my brothers and I occupied, I knew I would have to be careful.

Her submission was… addictive.

That was a dangerous thing.

The Romanos didn’t make a habit of forming attachments. Not like this.

It was too easy to lose oneself in the raw ecstasy of dominance and control, and become ensnared by one’s own darkness.

That was one thing Lucian had taught me.

When to pull back—

The image of Avril, her chestnut hair matted against her flushed cheeks, and her hazel eyes glowing with a cocktail of fear, anger, and reluctant lust, had burned itself into my mind.

She was intoxicating—innocence tainted by darkness—and I wanted more.

No, I needed more.

Suddenly, an unwelcome pang hit me.

Beneath layers built over years of survival under my father’s control, I felt something inexplicable towards Avril. Something disconcerting.

A sense of… protectiveness? Or... affection?

The words were unfamiliar and there was a bitter taste on my tongue.

And yet, there she was, worming her way into my thoughts.

But I shoved it aside.

I let out a low growl of frustration, turned away from the window, and stormed down the hallway toward my chambers. If I didn’t regain control over myself—if I didn’t pull back from the brink—I risked plunging into depths that were far too dangerous to contemplate.

No.

Toying with Avril had a purpose. And I couldn’t lose sight of it.